Cigarette end inspection device



Sept. 8, 1970 R. MARRADI CIGARETTE END INSPECTION DEVICE Filed Feb. 15,1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w W m R 11111111 m A +m m %w 4 N 0 W fig vo/fiio/o o o 0 A0 06 A0 040 0/33 mu W y m ATTORNEY Sept. 8, 1970 R.MARRADI 3,527,347

CIGARETTE END INSPECTION DEVICE Filed Feb. 13, 1968 I5 Sheets-5heet I5INVENT OR REA/A 70 MAR/FAN 7 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1970 3,527,347CIGARETTE END INSPECTION DEVICE Renato Marradi, Bologna, Italy, assignorto American lg lachine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New erseyFiled Feb. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 705,155 Claims priority, applicationItaly, Feb. 18, 1967, 6,806A/67 Int. Cl. B07c 3/10 U.S. Cl. 209-79 10Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An arrangement for automaticallychecking up the filling of cigarettes and for discarding incompletelyfilled cigarettes, said arrangement comprising a fluted endless conveyorfor advancing the cigarettes to be checked in parallel relation, aconveyor drum provided with flutings peripherically revolving at thespeed of the endless conveyor, picking up the cigarettes therefrom andcarrying same along its upper section and a pair of drums provided withspring urged pins and counterpin revolving sidewise of said conveyordrum at the same speed and with said pins urged against the cigaretteends, means being provided for discarding the cigarettes which permit anexcessive penetration into their ends of the said feeler pins and/orcounterpins.

This invention relates to the checking of the filling of cigarette tipsor ends and aims to provide a device provided with feeler pins which arepushed coaxially against or by the cigarette ends and penetrate more orless into the cigarette ends according to their filling degree. Theresistance opposed by the cigarettes to the penetration of said feelerpins, respectively the extent of the penetration of said feeler pinsinto the cigarette ends, supplies an indication of the filling degree ofthe cigarette ends and may serve for actuating a device for rejectingdefective cigarettes.

The invention aims to overcome the inconveniences of other types ofcontrolling devices of the filling of the cigarettes and particularlythe very short time available for this control in other known controldevices.

According to the invention, in order to extend the check time and toeffect the check as if the cigarettes and the feeler pins wererelatively still with respect to one another for a relatively long time,the cigarettes are caused to travel in parallel relation on conveyormeans arranged between feeler means traveling in unison therewith.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the cigarettes are conveyedin part on a path having the shape of an arc of a circle and formingpart of the circumference of a conveyor drum. The cigarettes arearranged in parallel relation transversely along the arc of circle,while the corresponding conveyor drum rotates between two drums providedwith crowns of transverse feeler pins which, for the part correspondingto the arc of circle along which the cigarettes are conveyed on saidconveyor drum, are arranged coaxially of said cigarettes along the arcof circle and move in synchronism therewith, so that both cigarettes andpins on the arc of circle appear still with respect to each other toimprove the exactness and to extend the time of the check of the fillingof the cigarette ends, which is particularly important on high-speedcigarette machines.

In practice, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, theadvancing of the cigarette over the arcshaped path in correspondencewith the control device can be obtained by employing a fluted drum forconveying the cigarettes, coaxially arranged between two feeler pindrums and revolving synchronously, and preferably integrally, with thesame. The cigarettes to be controlled are fed by a conventional conveyorto the conveyor drum, whereupon, after having traveled for a certainlength onto the same, are discharged directly or indirectly onto anendless delivery conveyor constituted by chains made up of shaped links,driven along substantially rectilinear paths, and mounted upon revolvingfluted driving drums.

According to a further characteristic feature of the invention, thecigarettes to be controlled can be fed towards the control device thenshifted away therefrom by means of a single chain conveyor provided withshaped links, from which the cigarettes are collected by means of theconveyor drum interposed between the two feeler pin drums, and then laiddown again onto the same chain, after having traveled for a certain arcof a circle onto the conveyor drum, and having passed through the control operations along said are of circle. In this case, the conveyordrum can be constituted by two coaxial and spaced notched discs, fixedlymounted onto the same shaft or revolving means, and between which passesthe chain provided with shaped links carrying the cigarettes whose endsproject out on both sides of the said chain, in the path of both fluteddiscs forming the conveyor drum.

These and other characteristic features of the invention and theadvantages deriving from it will be apparent from the followingspecification of a preferred embodiment, shown by way of non-limitingexample in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows vertical axial section through a pair of feelerpin drumsand the interposed cigarette-conveyor drum, forming the cigarettefilling control device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section, taken on line 11-11 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows in plan view the left-hand half of the device shown in FIG.1,

Referring to the figures, 1 denotes a fixed horizontal shaft, supportedat its ends by a pair of supporting memher 3. In an intermediateposition of said shaft 1, a fluted conveyor drum 2 is rotatably mountedon rolling bearings 5. Said conveyor drum 2 comprises a sleeve 302provided with end flanges, to which a pair of spaced discs 102, 202 arefastened and having, at their periphery, aligned notches adapted toconstitute a pair of supporting cradles for rod-like objects, such asthe cigarettes.

The cigarettes S, whose end filling are to be checked, are fed to theconveyor drum 2 by means of an endless chain conveyor having shapedlinks 4, FIG. 2. The upper substantially horizontal run of said endlesschain conveyor, passes over the shaft 1 between the two spaced drumdiscs 102 and 202 and is continuously driven in the direction of thearrow F, in the same direction of rotation P1 of the upper half of theconveyor drum 2. The cigarettes S being checked are supported betweentheir ends within the shaped links of the upper run of the chain 4,while both their ends project beyond the chain sides 4, in the path ofthe two notched drum discs 102 and 202.

The conveyor drum 2 and the endless chain conveyor 4 are driven in timedrelation so that, when the cigarettes S are adjacent to the ascendingside of the conveyor drum 2, they are picked up successively from thechain 4 by two aligned flutings of the two drum discs 102, 202 whichengage the cigarettes near their ends and are then conveyed along a pathin the shape of an arc of a circle, corresponding to the upper sectionof the conveyor drum 2. When however the cigarettes S come to be on thedescending drum side level with the right-hand extension of the upperrun of the conveyor 4, they are taken by the corresponding link of saidchain conveyor 4 and are moved towards the discharge end of the sameconveyor.

On either side of the conveyor drum 2, a cigarettte end filling-checkingdrum 6 and 7which shall be called feelerpin drum and feelercounterpindrum, respectively, are rotatably mounted on bearings 16, 17 and coupledto the conveyor drum 2 so as to revolve therewith. One of these pindrums, for example drum 6 on the right-hand side in FIG. 1, is fastenedas by screws 8 to the sleeve 302 of the conveyor drum 2 and presents acrown of feeler pins 9, mounted parallel to the axis of the feeler pindrum 6 and co-axial with a pair of cigarette supporting notches 102, 202in the discs of the conveyor drum 2 and therefore also co-axially of thecigarettes S supported thereby. Each feeler pin 9 is provided in aposition intermediate its ends with a collar axially slidable within oneof a crown of cylindrical bores 10 of the drum 6 and projects with itsrear end 109 through a bore of the bottom of said cylinder 10, while itsopposite end extends through a bore of a threaded plug towards drum 2. Agauged pressure spring 11, housed within the cylindrical bore of eachfeeler pin 9, between the said pin collar and said threaded plug urgesthe respective pin 9 away from the conveyor drum 2 (that is, on therighthand side in FIG; 1), almost withdrawing within drum 6 the frontend of the feeler pin 9, i.e. the end pointing towards the said conveyordrum, and causing the opposite end, or rear end, 109, to bear against afront cam 12 keyed onto the shaft 1 and which can be axially adjustedonto shaft 1 by means of a sleeve 13 which is rotatably but not axiallyslidably mounted onto the axle 1 and has a threaded part 113 which isscrewed into screwtapped hub 112 of cam 12. The latter is axiallyslidable but non-rotatably mounted onto shaft 1, for example by means ofa key, and is secured in the adjusted position by means of nut 14.

The check-up drum 7, arranged on the opposite side of the conveyor drum2 presents a crown of feeler counterpins 15, similar to the pins 9, thatis parallel to the axis of rotation of the pin drum 7 and therefore ofshaft 1, each being coaxially arranged with respect to a pair of notchesof the conveyor drum 2 and therefore coaxially arranged with respect toa feeler pin 9 of the opposite feeler pin drum 6. The feeler counterpins15 are also provided with a collar, intermediate their ends, slidablyguided within cylindrical bores or cylinders of the drum 7 and are urgedby gauged springs 19, inserted between the bottoms of the cylinders 18and the pin collars towards the conveyor drum 2 (on the right-hand sidein FIG. 1), by passing through a bore of a perforated screw plug closingthe bore 18 and extending with their front ends out of the drum 7. Theopposite or rear end 115 of each feeler counterpin 15 extends through abore of cylinder 18 out of drum 7 and co-acts with a radial piston orslide 20 slidably mounted within the shell of a bellshaped part of pindrum 7. Each of these pistons 20 is urged in radial direction towardsthe shaft 1 and bears, by means of its rounded inner end, against a cam22 fitted onto the same shaft 1 within the recess of the bell-shapedpart of drum 7.

Each slide 20 presents, on its side turned towards the correspondingfeeler counterpin 15, a recess 120 having an outer tooth-shaped edge220. The rear end of each feeler counterpin 15 presents button-likeinversed frustoconical end 115, adapted to be engaged and clutched bythe tooth edge 220 of the corresponding slide 20. Each slide 20furthermore carries a pin 23 which is parallel to the axis of rotationof the drum 7 and projects out of the latter on the side opposite to theconveyor drum 2, through a radial slit 24.

Drum 7 is axially slidable, but non-rotatably mounted, onto a sleeve 25which is fastened by means of screws 26 to the conveyor drum 2 and isrotatably mounted on shaft 1, with the interposition of bearing 17. Onthe opposite side, the bell-shaped part of the drum 7 is closed by meansof a disc 27 which is fastened to the same drum 7 and is slidably butnon-rotatably mounted in axial directions onto a sleeve 28 which isrotatably mounted on shaft 1 by means of bearings 29 and is driven inany suitable manner, for example by means of a sprocket wheel 30 andchain (not shown). The conveyor drum 2 therefore is rotatingly coupledwith both co-axial drums 6 and 7, all these three drums 2, 6 and 7revolving together in the direction of arrow F1, being driven bysprocket wheel 30 through sleeve 28 and the disc 27. Furthermore, drum 7can be axially adjusted with respect to the conveyor drum 2. To thispurpose, with the control drum 7, and in particular with the disc 27which closes its bell-shaped part, it engages in a rotatable but notaxially slidable manner, an adjusting sleeve 31 screwed onto threadedouter part of the sleeve 28. By turning such an adjusting sleeve 31, thecontrol drum 7 is axially shifted, by sliding upon the sleeves 25 and 28and can be secured in the adjusted position by means of a locking nut32.

In a determined position, downstream of the conveyor drum 2, incorrespondence of the endless conveyor chain 4 a blowing nozzle 33 isprovided, which is transversally directed towards the endless conveyorchain 4 and is connected to a source of compressed air by means of avalve 34, which, is usually closed and may be opened by means of a lever35 which is pivoted at 135 and carries a roller 36 co-acting with thepins 23 of the radial pistons 20 of drum 7.

The operation of the afore-described device is as follows:

In correspondence of the lower section of the revolving conveyor drum 2,the front ends of the feeler pins 9, carried by drum 6 and pointingtowards the conveyor drum 2, are withdrawn at the utmost into therespective pin drum 6, while the front ends of the corresponding feelercounterpins carried by drum 7 project at the utmost towards conveyordrum 2, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 1.

In correspondence of the arc travelled by the cigarettes S on the toppart of the conveyor drum 2, each feeler pin 9 carried by drum 6 ispushed by the cam 12, against the action of spring 11, into contact withthe facing end of a cigarette S, carried by a pair of notches ofconveyor drum and pushes the said cigarettes into contact with theopposite feeler counterpin 15 of drum 7, thus axially clamping samebetween pin 9 and counterpin 15. If the filling degree of both ends ofthe cigarette 2 is sufficient, the rounded end of pin 9 and of thecounterpin 15 penetrate only slightly into the said cigarette.Whereupon, the shifting of pin 9 towards the counterpin 15, by means ofcam 12, being continued, the resistance of the spring 19 acting upon thecounterpin 15 is overcome so that said counterpin is shifted towardsslide 20. This happens if the filling of both ends of the cigarette S issufficiently firm. In the meantime, the slide 20 has been shiftedoutwardly, in radial direction, against the action of spring 21 to aposition in which its lateral recess 120 comes to be shifted in front ofthe corresponding counterpin 15, so that the button-shaped rear end ofsaid counterpin penetrates into the slide recess 120. When, bycontinuing the rotation of cam 22, slide 20 is again urged inwardly inradial direction by its spring 21, but the said inward shifting isprevented by the counterpin 15 which has penetrated into the sliderecess and by the tooth edge 220 which is engaged by the button-liketooth 115 of the counterpin 15, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 1.

All the above-described operations are performed in the upper section ofthe conveyor drum 2 carrying the cigarettes S. slightly ahead of thepoint in which the cigarettes are laid down from the conveyor drum 2onto the conveyor chain 4, the feeler pin 9 is withdrawn from thecigarette S by the spring 11, while the counterpin 15 remains in itsformer position, due to its hooking by the slide 20. Therefore, slide 20is maintained by feeler counterpin 115 is its radial outward position,as long as its pin 23 does not contact the roller 36 of the lever 35which controls the valve 34 for feeding compressed air to nozzle 33. Inthis position of slide 20, its pin does not interfere with the roller 36of the lever so that it passes beyond the said roller 36 withouttouching it and therefore without shifting the lever 35. The valve 34remains closed and no jet of air is blown from the nozzle 33. The wholeis so constructed, that the slide corresponding to a cigarette S, whichis checked in the aforementioned manner on the conveyor drum 2, passesin correspondence of roller 36 of the lever 35 at the moment that thesaid cigarette S is on the conveyor 4 in front of the blow nozzle 33.When the shifting of lever 35 by means of the pin 23 of the piston isceased, and therefore the opening of the valve 34 with the consequentair jet through the nozzle 33 is stopped, the next occurring cigarette,having a sufficient filling at its ends, will remain on the chain 4 andcontinues to travel thereon.

After having passed the roller 36 of the lever 35, slide 20 is radiallypushed outwardly by cam 22 against the action of the spring 21, thusdisengaging its tooth 220 from the button-like end 115 of the respectivecounterpin 15 and releasing the latter. The counterpin 15 is thereafterbrought by the respective spring 19 again in its starting position, thusagain projecting to the greatest extent out of drum 7, towards theconveyor drum 2, while the slide 20 is maintained in its position by cam22, in which position its lateral recess 120 is in line with the samecounterpin 15. Under these conditions, the pin 9 and counterpin 15, aswell as the corresponding slide 20 are again at the beginning of theupper section of the conveyor drum 2, that is, at the beginning of thearc of circle travelled by the cigarettes S, ready to repeat theaforementioned cycle.

At any instant that the filling of one or of both ends of a cigarette Sdoes not present the required consistency, which would oppose aresistance greater than the force of the spring 19, the feeler pin 9and/or the respective feeler counterpin 15 penetrate into the cigaretteS at the moment that the pin 9 is being shifted by the cam 12, and thecounterpin 15 is not axially shifted. Therefore, when the cam 22 leavesthe respective slide 20 free to move inwardly in radial direction underthe action of the spring 21, said slide is not retained and hooked bythe counterpin 15", as in the preceding case, but is pushed into itsutmost inwardly withdrawn position, as shown in the lower part ofFIG. 1. In this position of slide 20, its abutment pin 23 interfereswith the roller 36 of the lever 35.

Consequently, after having laid the defective cigarette down from theconveyor drum 2 onto the chain conveyor 4, and at the moment in whichthis cigarette passes in front of the blow nozzle 33, the pin 23projecting sidewise of the slide 20 abuts against the roller 36 of thelever 35 to swing same so as to open for a short time the valve 34, andcause a jet of air to be blown out of nozzle 33, towards the defectivecigarette which is blown axially out of the conveyor.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the checking of the filling ofthe cigarette ends is performed while the cigarettes are moved along apath having the form of an arc of a circle, corresponding to the uppersection of a conveyor drum 2, between a first point, in which thecigarettes are picked up from an endless conveyor and a second point inwhich the cigarettes are laid down onto the same or a second endlessconveyor. Furthermore, the checking of the cigarette ends along this arcof circle is effected as if the cigarettes were on a still drum bymounting said conveyor drum 2 between two co-axial check-up drumsrunning at the same speed as drum 2 and provided with feeler pins 9 andcounterpins 15, respectively. The checking of the cigarettes istherefore effected as if the said cigarettes S and the feeler pin drums6, 7 were all still even if, in practice, all co-axial drums revolve ata high speed.

The afore-specified control device can be adjusted for different lengthsof cigarettes S, by axially shifting, on the right or on the left, thecontrol drum 7 by means of the threaded sleeve 32. It is also possibleto adjust the extent of penetration of the feeler pins 9, respectivelyof the counterpins 15, into the cigarette ends, by axially shifting thecam 12, on the right or on the left, by means of the threaded sleeves13, 113.

Of course the invention is not restricted to the embodiment asafore-described and shown, but can be widely varied and modified, aboveall in construction, particularly as regards the construction of thecontrol drums and of the conveyor drum, and the means for rejecting thedefective cigarettes, as well as the means for feeding the cigarettes tobe checked to the conveyor drum and for discharging and leading thecigarettes away from the latter. Thus for example, instead of a singleendless conveyor 4, two successive conveyors may be provided, one at theascending section of the conveyor drum 2 for feeding the cigarettes tosaid drum 2 and the other at the descending drum section, fordischarging the checked cigarettes. Furthermore the cigarettes can befed to the conveyor drum 2 by means of a revolving conveyor providedwith troughs and thereafter laid by the conveyor drum onto a subsequentrevolving discharging drum, which can also effect the discharging ofdefective cigarettes.

What I claim is:

1. A device for automatically determining the amount of filling in theends of cigarettes comprising an endless conveyor provided withtransversal flutings to hold and convey said cigarettes in a parallelrow, the width of the conveyor being less than the length of thecigarettes to enable both ends of each cigarette to project out of saidconveyor; a conveyor drum provided with a pair of spaced notched discs,a disc being mounted on each side of said conveyor in the path of theprojecting ends of said cigarettes carried by said conveyor; a pair ofdrums each provided with a crown of feeler pins slidable parallel to'the drum axis, a drum being arranged at each side of said conveyor drum,means for rotating said conveyor drum and pair of drums in synchronismwhereby said feeler pins are urged axially towards the ends of thecigarettes carried by the intermediately arranged conveyor drum, so asto travel in unison therewith, and means operated by said feeler pinsfor discarding a cigarette whenever one of said pins penetrates into theend of said cigarette in excess of a predetermined amount, thusdetecting an incomplete filli g.

2. The combination of u claim 1 wherein the transversally fluted endlessconveyor travels beyond said conveyor drum by passing between saidnotched discs and takes up from said discs the cigarettes supportedthereby and having traveled along an upper path in form of an arc ofcircle, said cigarettes are laid down, from said conveyor drum onto saidendless conveyor at a point beyond said conveyor drum, and wherein saidmeans for discarding the cigarettes having incompletely filled endscomprises a nozzle for blowing air against the incompletely filledcigarette, positioned beyond said feeler pin drums, and valve meanscoupled to said feeler pins to feed compressed air through said nozzleeach time an incompletely filled cigarette is detected.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the discarding means for therejection of defective cigarettes comprises a nozzle transversallyoriented relative to the path travelled by the cigarettes and which canbe coupled to a source of compressed air by means of a valve normallyclosed and which is selectively opened by a rocking lever adapted to beengaged and shifted by an abutment member of the slide.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said feeler pins are axiallypushed, by a fixed cam and against the action of springs, towards theconveyor drum along the are of a circle run by the cigarettes on saiddrum.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the cam coupled to the feeler pinsof the pin drum is axially adjustable to vary the extent of penetrationinto the cigarette ends, and/or the opposite control drum carrying thefeeler counterpins is axially adjustable to adjust to various lengths ofthe cigarettes to be checked.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein the pair of drums mountedco-axially of the conveyor drum and rotatably-coupled thereto onopposite sides presents a crown of opposed feeler-pins and counterpinsaligned parallel to the axis of rotation of said conveyor drum andco-axial to the flutings of the same, said counterpins coupled to bemore or less axially displaced against the action of gauged springsthrough the action of corresponding feeler pins through an interposedcigarette, depending upon the penetration of the feeler pin and/or thefeeler counterpins into the ends of the cigarette.

7. The combination of claim 6 comprising a slide coupled to each feelercounterpin mounted on the counterpin drum and controlled by cams andsprings and also controlled by the counterpin to be brought to an activeposition to actuate the cigarette discarding means to expel a defectivecigarette.

8. The combination of claim 4 comprising control means activated by saidfeeler counterpin and coupled to the endless conveyor past said conveyordrum to reject defective cigarettes.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein a slide is slidably mounted toeach feeler counterpin in the control drum and provided with an outerabutment which coacts with a discarding means and arranged in a fixedposition outwardly of the control drum to actuate the discarding meansfor the rejection of cigarettes, said slide coupled selectively to afixed cam and a spring to assume alternately an active position in whichits abutment engages and actuates the discarding means for cigaretterejection, and an inactive position, in which the abutment does notengage and therefore does not actuate the discarding means for cigaretterejection.

'10. The combination of claim 9 wherein each feeler counterpin iscoupled to a small piston and a holding and hooking means which, anytime the counterpin detects a cigarette having a conventional filling atits ends, the counterpin withholds the slide in its inactive positionand is hooked by the same to prevent the counterpin from shifting, andin the instance where a cigarette is defective, the slide is free tomove into its active position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,977,239 10/1934 Molins 209792,246,107 6/1941 Ruau 209-79 2,284,117 5/1942 Best 20979 X 3,237,7643/1966 Kochalski 7381 X RICHARD A. SCHACHER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl.X.R.

